Renegade Rising
by ventus101
Summary: Robin is going to be Slade's apprentice whether he likes it or not. He took Robin away from his friends and injected him with the same serum as him, making him a super soldier. Robin struggles to control himself, becoming the Titans greatest threat, whether he means to or not. Renegade rises - adopted from JP-Rider.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is a story I adopted from JP-Rider and I hope I did it justice. As a bit of background, the apprentice episodes didn't happen so this is a different take on that arc. Please review and let me know if I should carry on.

Disclaimer: unfortunately I own absolutely nothing.

Renegade Rising

Chapter 1

Slade Wilson – the Haunt – Jump city

Slade Wilson was patiently standing his private medical bay – his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was currently studying the young boy lying almost motionless on the medical bed before him. If it wasn't for the gentle rising and falling of his chest, one would think the boy dead. Slade though – with his enhanced capabilities could hear the faint beating that indicated the boy was alive.

It had been just under a week ago the Slade had injected the boy with the serum that had made him near immortal and Slade was beginning to get frustrated. Surely the boy should be awake by now but thus far he hadn't shown any signs of awaking.

When he had been injected back in his days in the military, he had been the sole survivor out of 20 men. Upon waking, Slade had heard their plan to create others like him to be mindless, expendable soldiers. The doctors seemed to think that his blood was the key to a successful reaction. Of course Slade hadn't given them the chance to test their theory – killing all of them on their way out.

Looking down at the pale boy, he doubted their theory – perhaps he should have tested the serum first. Robin was a mess; his hair has drenched with sweat causing it the cling to his forehead. He had dark bags under his unmasked eyes – he already knew the boy was Dick Grayson – and his temperature was through the roof.

"How is he?" his old friend and butler asked, apparently appearing out of nowhere.

Slade didn't turn to greet him; instead he grabbed a wet cloth from the bowl of water on the tray next to the Boy's bed in the medical bed. He wrung out the Cloth and gently placed it on Richard's head. He didn't know how to answer Will; for once in his life he didn't have the answer and that irked him. He sighed heavily.

"I honestly don't know Will. I thought he was strong enough to pull through, maybe I was wrong… after all he is only 15."

Richard began to tremble, muttering incoherently; though Slade could muster a guess to what the nightmares were about. His parents most likely; the tragic demise of the flying Grayson's. It really was tragic but Slade didn't dwell on it. If it hadn't happened then Batman would never have taken the boy in and Slade would never have met him. No their deaths had served a purpose, bringing their son into His world. Still Slade knew what it was like to lose family, the living family he had wanted nothing to do with him.

The nightmares didn't surprise Slade, but he felt for the boy all the same. The dreams were so vivid he could still remember them. It felt as if you were trapped in your own mind. Fighting to hold onto life. Your very body was acting against you. He knew how easy it was to give into those dreams – to give up. He almost did himself.

It was a ferocious battle between body and mind.

A battle, that Dick was losing.

Cyborg – titans tower – Jump city

Five days. That was how long Robin had been gone.

Frankly Cyborg was a mess, he hadn't slept since Robin's communicator had gone offline and the whole team was worried sick. At that point he figured there were two possibilities. Either Robin had gone off by himself or something had happened. He prayed that the latter was not true, though things were not looking promising.

Cyborg cast his mind back to the red x incident. That has set the whole team on edge. Despite Robin's good intentions, it had created an air of mistrust, cloaking the whole tower.

Still… even as Red x – Robin had gone out of his way to protect them. Some could argue that he had put them at risk in the first place. Cyborg understood Robin's actions – he in no way condoned them – but he understood them. He had blown his cover, most likely because he had saved Beastboy from becoming road kill.

Besides, Robin had always stayed in contact in some way or another. But now? He had broken his number one rule – always stay on the grid.

He had been arguing with himself for days. One part of him thought that Robin had gone off on some mission and neglected to tell them. The more logical part couldn't disagree more – Robin didn't forget and if it was some mission he didn't want them to know about, he would have put something into place to make it seem like he was there – make up some kind of story.

But he hadn't, and that worried them.

They had known for a while that Robin could get obsessed with a case. Slade was a prime example. When it came to that man, Robin wouldn't eat, sleep or socialise. He was constantly in either his room or the evidence room.

In some ways, Robin's behaviour didn't surprise them. The guy was raised by mister tall, dark and broody himself. It was only natural that he picked up on some of the Bat's traits.

Slade – he was to Robin, what the Joker was to Batman. It was as if they needed each other to better themselves. Almost as if – in some strange way, the two were made for each other.

Robin provided Slade with a rival, someone the man deemed worthy of his time and effort. He had made it clear how pathetically incapable he thought the rest of them were.

Slade, he gave Robin something to strive towards. He saw Slade as the ultimate enigma, the case the junior detective would stop at nothing to solve. Slade brought out Robin's competitive side. He saw Slade as _his _responsibility. In essence, Slade made Robin stronger but that wasn't the end of the story. Whenever Slade was involved, Robin became distant. He would push the team away and try to do everything by himself. He would become self destructive, rarely eating or sleeping, spending every waking hour doing research, piecing things together. Cyborg rarely saw him when he was like that. Hell even Starfire couldn't get him out and he was closer to her than any of them.

Despite his faults, Robin was a great leader and would rather die than let any of his friends get hurt.

"Cyborg, when will we find friend Robin?"

Cyborg looked around from his computer; he could barely stand to look the Tamaranian in the eyes. Her bright green orbs were brimming with tears.

"I don't know star."

She frowned, biting her lip as a few tears slipped down her face.

"He will be of the ok, yes?" She asked.

_**I honestly don't know Star.**_

"Course he will Star, he can take care of himself." Cyborg said, just as much for his benefit than for Starfire's.

"I have faith in our friend, I am just worried. He has never been away for so long."

"We'll find him Star, I promise."

Starfire nodded sadly, her eyes became dull as she left the room.

Things weren't going as well as he led the rest of the Titans to believe. He had no leads to Robin's location and could only dread the time when he would have to admit his lack of findings to the team.

_**Come on Robin, where are you man?**_

Robin –unknown

All he could feel was pain. The only time he had experienced any pain like this was when Two face had beaten him within an Inch of his life; even then it was nothing compared to this.

It was as if his whole body had been engulfed by flames. His insides burned with white hot agony as he stumbled through the darkness. He was unaware of his surroundings, focusing only on surging through the pain. He didn't know why he was walking; it was as if some unseen force was compelling him to move.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, please give a warm welcome to the Amazing, the gravity defying, the fearless, flying Graysons!"

Robin spun around, searching for the voice in the darkness. It seemed to be coming from everywhere.

Images flashed through his head.

The circus, the trapeze, the crowd, his parents –

A round of applause sent him crashing to his knees. His hands flew to his ears to offer himself some kind of protection.

_**No.**_

He knew what was next.

SNAP

_**Please stop…**_

CRACK

Dick yelled in agony, both mental and physical pain engulfing him as he collapsed onto his stomach. He trembled, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to get up, managing to get onto one knee.

"Hello Dick, I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Sorry about your parents."

_**That's all anyone ever is. Sorry.**_

"It will get better."

_**Everyone says that too. But it doesn't it never will. How can it.**_

"You're going to need a name, Dick."

_**Robin.**_

"Come and say hello to you're good ol' uncle J."

BANG!

_**No. Bruce, help me. I don't wanna die.**_

"ROBIN!"

"You got shot."

_**You get shot all the time! **_

"You could have died."

_**But I didn't.**_

"You're fired Dick. End of Discussion."

_**What, because you say so? You can't do this to me Bruce! You can't take Robin away!**_

"Go to your room, Dick."

_**I HATE YOU!**_

Dick collapsed to his stomach with his last words "Mm Sorry Bruce…" Dick sobbed as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

A/N : so what do you think? Should I continue? What did I do well, or not so well. Let me know. I love feed back so pleaaaassseee.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N sorry for the super long wait, but here it is. Chapter 2. I have the next chapter mostly done, along with the next chapter of what is the chances. Thanks for staying with me.

Dick Grayson - unknown- unknown

The first thing Dick became aware of was his head hurt-a lot. He lay still for a few minutes, his eyes tightly shut as he tried to fight back the wave of nausea that was threatening to overcome him.

His whole body hurt. It was as if he was being poked with white hot needles-the pain just wouldn't go away.

_Think Grayson. Mind over matter. Ignore the pain and concentrate._

It was quiet. That in itself was a flashing warning sign. It was never quiet at the tower. That meant he was somewhere else.

_But where?_

He opened his heavy eyelids, becoming aware of something. The familiar weight of his domino mask was missing.

_Not good._

He slowly tried to sit up, though the straps around his arms, chest and legs stopped him getting very far. How had he not noticed them before? He must be out of it. He could mentally hear Bruce lecturing him on his incompetence. That just made him angry. Bruce wasn't perfect afterall. He'd been in just as many situations as Dick had.

"Ah, Richard, I see you're awake."

Even in his delirious state, the boy recognised that voice. That voice that taunted him in his every waking hour. That voice that haunted him in his dreams. The man that, despite all of his efforts, Dick could not catch. He was an enigma.

Richard didn't reply as he watched the man walking over to him, out of the corner of his eye. The man's mere presence mad him want to curl up in a ball and vanish. Slade was the Pinnacle of power and dominance.

"Not talking?"

Dick just glared in response. Partially because he didn't want to satisfy the man with an answer, but also because he just didn't have the energy to argue with him at the moment.

The man simply brushed off the icy stare as if it was nothing.

"How are you feeling? You've been through quite the ordeal."

That got him angry. Slade had no right to ask him how he was. What did he mean by ordeal? What had Slade done to him?

"What the hell did you do to me, You psychopathic freak!?" The boy snarled as loudly as he could-though even he had to admit, it sounded pretty pathetic.

Slade seemingly didn't appreciate Dick's words, because he was beside him, faster than Dick's punding head allowed him to comprehend. The man lifted him up the the front of his shirt, as far as the restraints would allow.

"Care to try again, boy?" Slade narrowed his single eye.

His tone was quiet, but Deadly. He received the unspoken threat loud and clear and it took all of his self preservation to swallow back his pride and answer.

_Pick your battles, Grayson._

"W-what happened? Why am I here?" He asked-trying to keep his tone even.

"Better."

Slade released him, causing Dick to fall back on the medical table with a grunt. By the time he had regained his bearings, Slade had pulled up a chair and was sat with his chest up against the back and his arms dangled loosely over the top.

" For a while now, Richard, I've been looking for an apprentice. The perfect child to teach. To follow in myy footsteps." The man said slowly, as if explaining to a small child.

"Richard, I've chosen you. Congratulations."

His silky tone suggested that Dick should be beaming with joy. It only Irked him.

"What? why me?" He asked quietly.

Slade gave a short chuckle, shaking his head. Dick was fuming. He didn't know what he had said that was so amusing. The man was patronising him.

"You sell youself short, boy. Why you, hmm?" He paused for a moment as if considering the question. "Well, you're extremely skilled-no doubt about that. You're strong. You're smart. You're everything I've been looking for."

The man finished, before leaning forward so that his chin rested on his hands. He studied Dick as if waiting for his reaction.

Dick was stunned to say the least. It had been a long time since someone had regarded him so highly-the fact that it was Slade, made it even more welcome. Sure he hated Slade, but the man was his rival. He was noticing his skill and praising him in a way that Bruce never had. It felt strange and Dick felt a tight sensation in his chest. It felt good, but he couldn't possibly accept the man's offer.

He was a criminal, and Dick was Robin-the boy wonder. He was a hero. He had a team to lead.

"Thanks for the offer, Slade, but no thanks."

The man sighed for a moment before standing up, a dark glint in his eye.

"You really think you have a choice, Richard?"

Dick's eyes widened in fear and he looked up at the man who was approaching him.

Slade decided to answer the boy's unspoken question.

"I made a few minor changes to you. I injected you with the serum that gave me my enhanced abilities."

Dick couldn't contain the snicker that escaped his lips. Slade narrowed his eye and pulled out a knife, causing Dick to visibly tense.

"I see you're in need of a demonstration." He said slowly as he took Dick's hand in his own and cut diagonally across his palm.

Dick hissed in pain and was about to start ranting when the man held up Dick's hand, showing him the cut was already healing.

He was mortified. That was impossible-or at least it should be. He was not a meta-human, yet here he had just experienced enhanced healing.

"I'll leave you to think on that. Try to get some rest. It will take a while for your body to adjust to the serum."

He ruffled the boy's damp hair before leaving the room.

He waited about half an hour until he was sure the man was gone before tugging on the restraints with all his strength. To his surprise-they broke.

Don't think about that now. Just go.

He did. He stealthily made his way out of the haunt, racing to the tower. It never even crossed his mind that it had been unbelievably easy to escape as he dashed out of the exit.

Slade- The Haunt- Jump city

Slade was standing in the main room, watching a computer moniter when Will walked in.

"The boy is gone, I assume you have plans to go after him." The man said with little interest.

"No. This is all according to plan, Will. He'll be back soon enough." Slade said with a small smirk as he shut down the computer monitor.

It was just a matter of time before the boy returned, a broken mess, all but begging for Slade's guidance.

A/N let me know what you think. Any Ideas, feel free to share.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Wow, a quick update from me? and it's the longest by far! Hooray! Thanks for the follows, favourites and reviews and on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Dick Grayson- Titans Tower- Jump city**

Dick reached the tower in record time, running full out without pause and he hadn't even broken a sweat. Nor was he panting for breath. He put it down to adrenaline fuelling his escape. He refused to accept the fact that Slade had injected him with any serum. The cut healing was just his imagination in his delirious state. Nothing more.

He was about to enter the tower through the front door when he realised he was a mess. His hair was dishevelled and his clothes were slightly tattered. The main problem was the absence of his mask.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the Titans with his identity-he did. It wasn't his secret to tell though. Bruce's identity was directly linked to Dick's and the man would be furious if he told anyone. Hell, the guy was paranoid. He knew every justice leaguer by first names, yet he refused to give up his own.

Still...Slade knew who he was now. He probably knew who Batman was too. He didn't seem to care though. He didn't make any threats with his identity. He simply used it as an alternative to Robin. He didn't know why though. Slade knew the fearless boy wonder, not the little orphan who buried his grief under a mask.

When Dick left Bruce, he gave up the identity of Richard Grayson. He hadn't thought of himself as that person for a long time, but Slade calling him by his name-It brought Richard back. Richard was like an open book. You could see his whole life story in his blue orbs. He was weak. He couldn't control his emotions, whether they were anger, fear or sorrow. Robin on the other hand was strong. He was brave and determined. He didn't let emotions overwhelm him.

The mask provided Dick with a safety net. A sense of security. It was his lifeline. Without it, he was just Dick Grayson. Orphan, Charity case, Gypsy; the list went on. He wasn't ready for his friends to see Dick Grayson. He wasn't sure if he ever would be.

He doubled back so he could enter through the garage, hacking into the mainframe to let himself in without being noticed. He became aware of how easy it would be for an intruder to break into the tower. He'd definitely talk to cyborg about a possible security update later.

He silently made his way into his room, locking the door behind him. He looked at his clock and realised it was 3 AM. It would be hours until the Titans woke up. He had plenty of time to make himself presentable. Suddenly he felt incredibly dizzy.

The boy staggered into his conjoining bathroom, practically collapsing in a heap in front of the toilet. He sat there panting for a while as he tried to control himself. His head was spinning and his vision was becoming wasn't long before he was hit by a wave of nausea. This time he wasn't able to fight it back. It must have been the running from earlier that started him off again.

He breathed heavily for a moment before vomiting violently into the toilet. He shook vigorously for a few moments before throwing up again. The cycle repeated for about half an hour before Dick finally started to feel slightly better.

He waited by the toilet for another half an hour after he had stopped vomiting before he pushed himself to his feet. He figured he'd feel better after a shower so he slowly undressed and slipped into the shower.

The hot spray of water didn't do much to make him feel better, but at least he was he was clean now. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around his waist before returning to his room. He dried himself off before walking to his closet and pulling a new uniform out.

Once dressed he placed a mask on his face, becoming Robin once more.

Looking at the clock he saw it was only 4:30, he decided he could take a small nap.

He woke up a few hours later feeling a lot better. He felt more energetic for a start. He decided it was time to go find his friends.

They were all sitting in the main room, seemingly depressed. He coughed slightly to alert them to his presence.

"Friend Robin!" Starfire exclaimed, flying over to him. She pulled Robin into a bone crushing hug. Normally Robin would have smiled despite the lack of oxygen but this time he didn't. He felt angry. He didn't know why but he didn't want anyone touching him. For some reason this comforting gesture was doing nothing more than irritating him and it took all his self control to remain calm.

When she released him, he gave a small smile.

"Hey guys."

Cyborg walked over, furious. He pushed Robin hard, sending the boy staggering back slightly. Robin's face heated up slightly and his shoulders shook slightly in anger.

"Hey guys?" Cyborg shouted. "That's it? You disappear for a whole week and that's all you say? Where the hell have you been man? We've been worried sick."

Dread hit the boy like a ton of bricks. A week? He had been gone that long? Surely not. He couldn't remember Slade even capturing him, let alone holding him captive for a week. His face paled slightly. That meant he had been unconscious the whole time. He must have been out for a whole week.

_What the hell did Slade do to me?_

Robin quickly composed himself, running a hand through his hair. As he though of a story.

"I'm sorry, I was on a mission with Batman. Top secret. I had to go off the grid. I should have told you, I know." He lied easily.

"After what happened last time? Don't you remember Red X?! We thought you were dead, Robin!"

Robin frowned as he looked around at his team. Disappointment and betrayal was etched on their faces.

Robin had never been so happy to hear the alarm in his life.

"Titans Go!" He shouted as he quickly left the building. He ran to the location of the crime. It was, by the look of it, a simple bank robbery, nothing the team couldn't handle. He scouted the building. Hostages.

"Raven, create a shield to protect the hostages while Starfire takes them to safety. Cyborg and Beastboy, you guys are with me. Now, move out!" He says through his communicator.

Once Raven had created the shield, he made his move. There was one thing he hadn't anticipated though. A small girl was standing with the robbers. She was crying for her parents. He saw one of the Robbers, most likely the leader, bark orders at his men before grinning greedily at the girl. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before leaving.

"Titans, finish up here. I have a kidnapping to stop." He ordered before following the man. He had faith his team would cope.

He followed the man to an apartment complex in the bad part of jump. It wasn't a nice looking place to live, but then again, things generally went unnoticed in places like that.

He saw the girl be placed on the bed and the man started to unzip his trousers. He snapped. He broke down the door and pounced on the man, pounding his face relentlessly. He saw nothing but red, as he continued to deliver strike after strike to the piece of scum below him. He didn't hear the girl scream in fear. He didn't hear his friends enter and scream at him to stop. It wasn't until he was pulled back by strong robotic arms that he snapped out of it.

The first thing he noticed was the blood dripping off his gloves. He slowly looked down to see what was left of the man. He was breathing, but barely. His face was unrecognisable. Robin suddenly felt very sick.

What...have I done? Oh...oh my God...

He turned to his team, noticing Starfire was gone. She must have taken the girl to safety. Raven took a step forward, placing a hand on the injured man before disappearing with him. That just left Cyborg and Beastboy.

"What the hell Robin!?" He shouted. Beastboy stood quietly behind him. "You could have killed him!"

Robin did feel bad, but he wasn't going to have Cyborg lecturing him. He was in charge after all. He took a step forward.

"Unless you hadn't notice...he was...he was going to-"

"I know what he was going to do, Robin but what you did was unacceptable!"

Robin froze for a moment before he felt his temper rise. He glared at Cyborg.

"I did what needed to be done!"

"Listen to yourself! You are exactly like Slade! You need help Robin! You can't lead a team like this! Your obsession is making you sick. It's for the best if we remove you from your position as leader and call Batman. He can find you the help you need."

Robin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cyborg was kicking him off the team. Sure he made a mistake, but it wasn't as if he had hurt an innocent, and to make things worse he was calling Batman. He was suggesting that Batman lock him up in some kind of mental asylum.

"You have no right..." He all but growled, pointing a finger at his friend.

"I'm sorry Robin...you're sick. Look at you...You're shaking." He didn't take in the concern in his friend's voice. If he had been thinking straight he would have listened. He would have realised they were only trying to help him.

But of course, he didn't.

He ran.

He paid no mind to where his feet were taking him, he just ran blindly. He needed to get out of the city. He needed somewhere where he could be alone. Just for a while at least. Subconsciously he knew the perfect place.

His feet hit the pavement in an even rhythm. Left foot. Right foot. Left again. He didn't hear the shouts of passers-by telling him to watch where he was going, or slow down. He didn't hear the drivers pamp their horns as he almost collided with their vehicles. His mind was elsewhere. Stuck in slow motion, replaying the scene over in his head.

Right foot.

_The was deafening as the man begged him to stop. As he begged for Robin to mercifull. His pleading fell on deaf ears. Robin was too far gone to hear anything other the sound of his own heart pounding._

Left foot.

_The blood. It was everywhere. Over his hands, his clothes, his face. It was everywhere. It would stay there too. No matter how many times Robin scrubbed every inch of his body, the blood would still remain as a reminder of what he had almost done-he knew that._

Right foot.

_The disappointed faces of his team-mates. The utter disgust and shock marring their expressions. He was their leader...and to see him like that? It must have been horrific. If the boy wonder could fall that far, what hope did the rest of them have?_

Left foot.

_The shouting. His friend's voice echoed in his head over and over again. The anger in his words. He meant them. He couldn't go back. Not after that. They wouldn't accept him._

_"You are exactly like Slade! You need help Robin! You can't lead a team like this!"_

A scream of pure agony tore from his throat and his legs buckled beneath him and he landed on his knees in the forest clearing. He often went there when he needed to think, but in all honesty, he didn't remember arriving, but then again, he wasn't in his best frame of mind.

_Maybe Cy is right...Maybe I do need help._

He broke down into tears at that thought, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. He was a monster. He would have killed that man if the Titans hadn't stopped him-there was no doubt about it. He had just been so angry. He didn't even realise what he had been doing until it was almost too late.

He didn't bother trying to fight back the tears, it was pointless. He allowed them to freely flow down his tinged cheek. He didn't see the man approach until he voiced his presence.

"Well, aren't you a sorry sight?"

He whipped his head around to see the Slade crouching down beside him. Robin instantly went to move away but Slade was quicker. He clamped a hand around Robin's wrist and pulled him back slightly. He reached for Robin's mask and his instincts kicked in. He threw a powerful punch at the man.

Slade caught the incoming fist, leaving Robin low on options to attack. He caught it so easily. It was as if he wasn't even trying. He had always hated that about Slade. The fact that Robin trained hard. So incredibly hard to take the man down yet Slade was able to take him down without even was what had created tension between him and his friends in the first place. Robin was so determined to take down Slade he even took up the identity of Red X. He lied to his friends. He stole and fought against them, all to get to Slade. Everything bad about his life in jump city came down to Slade.

Even now. The recent events were because of him. He wasn't exactly sure what the man had done to him, but he was sure that it had caused his outburst from earlier. He would never lose control like that without something messing with him. It must have been what Slade had done.

Once again fuelled by anger, he lunged forward trying to push the man away from him. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to hurt the man. To make him pay for what he had done but he wasn't thinking straight. He was fighting with anger and that was never a good way to fight.

Slade took advantage of that, spinning him around and pinning his arms behind his back with one hand. He then pushed him down so his cheek was on the ground. He held him there with his free hand on the back of his head.

"Slade! Let. !" He screamed at the top of his voice, thrashing about in the man's unyielding, Iron grip. His squirming only seemed to make the man tighten his grip.

"No. Not until you calm down." The man spoke darkly into his hear. Robin could feel the warmth of the man's breath through the slits of his mask.

Robin's breathing quickened. He became very much aware of how helpless he was against the man. The images of the man he had almost killed were still flashing in his mind. The shouts, the blood, the screaming. It was all too much for him.

He screamed for the second time that night.

**Slade Wilson- Forest- Jump City.**

Slade Wilson was not a man who was easily startled. He had seen too much in both his military days, and his days as an assassin. There was very little that caught him off guard.

The violent howl of absolute despair tearing itself out of the boy's throat however, startled him. He shifted his weight slightly and looked down at the boy in his grip. He had stopped struggling but now he was shaking uncontrollably, his sobs racking his body.

Slade Wilson was also not a man who felt pity, but looking at the wreck of a boy beside him, he couldn't help but feel bad. After all, he was the prime factor of the boy's state. He sighed, releasing the boy from his grip in hopes of calming him.

It did nothing.

"Calm yourself down, Richard. Deep breaths." He said as softly as he could manage, before gently pulling the boy into a sitting position. The boy didn't respond to his command, doing the exact opposite as he looked at his blood covered gloves. Slade slowly reached forward and removed the boys gloves, hiding them from view.

The boy's eyes remained glued to his hands as if he didn't notice the gloves were gone. His shaking hadn't died down either. Slade wasn't very good at this. It had been a long time since he had needed to comfort a distraught child. That's what Richard was- a child. As strong as he was, he was still only a child and Slade had to keep reminding himself of that. He needed guidance and if Slade was going to take him on as an apprentice, he needed to act like a mentor, not a master. The first step was calming him down enough to talk.

He cupped the boy's chin in one hand and slowly peeled the mask off with the other. The boy didn't even protest.

"Richard, look at me."

The boy made no move to do so and it Slade felt his temper rising. The brat wasn't even trying to help himself. Slade knew that the serum could make one's emotions haywire for a time afterwards, but Slade was pretty sure he hadn't behaved like this. He had been overly angry, taking out everyone that had anything to do with the creation of the formula. He had carried that anger with him throughout life. The boy had also been showing signs of anger. That was evident in his sloppy attack earlier. He'd have to teach him to control that anger.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard the boy choking back a sob. His anger quickly faded as he took in the broken boy. He gently turned his head to the side forcing Dick to look at him.

His bright blue eyes were bloodshot and dull. He'd thought the boy would have been able to last longer away from him than he did, but no matter, it would work out better for him if the boy came home quicker. The sooner he could begin his training, the better.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened?" He said in an even tone, not really expecting the boy to answer.

There was a long pause before, to his surprise the boy started talking. Slade was patient throughout Richard's story. At one point the boy had seemed unable to continue but after a hand on his shoulder and some coaxing, he finished the story.

No wonder the boy was such a mess, his team had practically abandoned him, and mental help? that wouldn't help the boy in the least. Only Slade could help him. The boy would come to realise that in time.

"You realise your only option is to come with me, correct?" He asked nonchalantly.

The boy's eyes widened for a moment before he shook his head. Clearly he had other ideas. He would have to crush those ideas quickly. It would be pointless to drag the boy home with him against his will. The boy had to believe it was his own choice.

"You have another idea, hmm? Go back to the Titans? Go back to daddy? both of those would end the same way. With you in a straight jacket."

Not that it would be able to hold him. The boy was still very much in the dark about his new abilities. Once the boy had calmed down and had a decent rest, he would talk to him about that. Just by looking at him, he could tell the boy was ill. He would have preferred it if the boy had remained with him for at least a few days before escaping so he could monitor his recovery.

"No...I'll..." The boy seemed to be conflicted. He didn't want to admit Slade was right. "I'll go solo."

Slade smirked under his mask at the boy's uncertainty. He truly was easy to manipulate.

"Until you lose control again. What happens if there is no one there to stop you? What if you go too far?"

Richard's answer was silence.

_Good. He's letting that sink in. He knows I'm right._

"I can help you, Dick." He used the boy's nickname in hopes of seeming more familiar and less intimidating. "I can teach you how to control your new abilities. Harness them."

He looked the boy in the eyes before standing up offering the shaking boy his hand.

"All you have to do is let me."

He could see Dick's resolve weakening. At that moment he didn't see the fearless boy wonder. He saw a scared child who was desperate for security. A young boy who had been dealt a cruel fate. Once Slade broke him down and rebuilt him, the boy that would be the perfect apprentice.

"They won't take you back, Dick. Things will never be the same again. They'll have you locked up. I see your potential in a way they never did. I'm giving you the opportunity to become great, Richard. Let me help you." He urged.

The boy was conflicted. That was clear from just looking at his facial features. Just as Slade was about to withdraw his hand, he felt Dick grasp it. Smiling under his mask, Slade pulled the boy up.

"Come now, it's getting cold and dark, lets get you inside." He placed a hand on Richard's shoulder and led him towards the car he had arrived in.

He opened the door allowing the boy to get in the back seat before he slid in next to him. He nodded at Will, signalling him to start the car.

_Mission accomplished. _

**_A/N_**

**_Thank you for all the reviews, they really keep me going. I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit dark but I needed something that would make Robin snap._**

**_So yes, Robin is back with Slade. It all happened quickly right? I'll admit that I had planned on him staying with the Titans for longer, but I suck at writing them. That and I wanted to get back into the Slade and Robin interaction scenes because...well, who doesn't love the angst that's bound to happen when those two are in a room together._**

**_Just a heads up, This story will NOT be slash. It can either be purely mentor and student or I can even have Slade soften up and take on a fatherly role. That is up to you guys._**


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